WITH STEVE AGREEING AN ENDORSEMENT WITH GIBSON IN THE 1980’S HE HAD THEM FIT SOME OF HIS CUSTOM SPEC. LES PAULS WITH THE ULTRA-POWERFUL “DIRTY FINGERS” PICKUP AT THE BRIDGE POSITION

Where the majority of the Gibson range of pickups are based around Alnico magnets, the “Dirty Fingers” is one of a select few based around ceramic magnets giving it a hotter, more aggressive tone.

The original “Dirty Fingers” pickups emerged in the early 1980s, and only appeared on a few select-model guitars. According to the Gibson official website the “Dirty Fingers” gets its ultra-high distortion from a special combination of wire gauge and windings that far exceed the winding count of the standard double-coil humbucking pickup that Gibson invented in 1957.

“The original Gibson Dirty Fingers pickups were overwound with a vengeance – they were some of the most outrageous and extreme pickups ever made,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp.

The “Dirty Fingers” reissue pickup is instantly identifiable by the gold “Dirty Fingers” logo stamped on one coil and by its twelve height-adjustable
polepieces, which allow the player to fine-tune individual string response (traditional pickups have only six adjustable polepieces).

As well as the enhanced gain, this pickup provides excellent sustain and clarity. The “Dirty Fingers” comes with a four-conductor lead and is wax potted to eliminate unwanted microphonic feedback.

NB: The original Dirty Fingers were only made with the standard two-wired connections.